A Promise Of A Lifetime
by NinjamSaucery
Summary: 6 year old Naruto loses what he considers to be his family on the day of his birthday. Naruto made a promise to not only become stronger, but to also become a medic so that he can protect those he cares about and so that he never loses anyone ever again. This promise may be fulfilled when he meets a certain surgeon. Naruto x Ino pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

Hey guys! Kind of stuck on how to write the next chapter of my One Piece fic like I got a couple ideas but I don't know how to link them well :/ . I didn't want to stop writing because of that so I wrote this after watching some One Piece videos and reading some sad Naruto fics as well in hopes of giving me some ideas on how to link my ideas together. I hope you guys enjoy this!

 **Disclaimer: Naruto and One Piece are owned by Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Promise Of A Lifetime**

Naruto Uzumaki, the 6-year-old blond Jinchuuriki walked down the streets down toward his favourite food stand in the village, Ichiraku Ramen, with a smile on his face. Today was the 10th of October, the day of his birthday, and the day where he would usually hide or run away in fear as the villagers would chase and mercilessly beat him to a bloody pulp. He always hated his birthday. Today however was different. The Ichirakus invited him over to their stall for some ramen, free of charge. The Ichirakus were like the family he never had with Teuchi-jiji being the loving and stern grandpa and Ayame-nee chan being the cheerful and loving older sister. Just thinking of all the ramen he was going to eat with his pseudo family brought an ear-splitting grin to his face, with a hint of drool trickling down the side of his mouth. His happy thoughts were interrupted by a foul smell. He sniffed the air and gagged slightly.

"Gah, that smells awful! It almost smells of... oh no..."

The familiar smell of blood combined with the rising plumes of black smoke coming from the direction he was headed was enough for him to connect the dots. He silently pleaded that it wasn't what he was thinking and that he was wrong but as he came closer to the food stand, he knew his fears were correct as before him lay the collapsed form of Ichiraku Ramen in a flaming inferno. He ran forward, looking for any survivors and what he saw made his legs go numb. In front of the stand was the bloody form of a man he knew all too well.

"Teuchi-jiji! W-what happened? Who did this?" Naruto screamed in desperation as he fell to his knees next to the old man and lifted his hand, grasping it tightly to his chest but received no response as he was passed out from blood loss. He looked up, frantically searching the burning remains of the Ichiraku stand in hopes of spotting Ayame only to lose all colour in his face as he spotted her body lying under the collapsed wall, slowly burning away. Naruto couldn't help but throw up on the ground, tears spilling from his eyes.

"Ayame-nee chan..." Naruto whimpered.

The flames that licked her body illuminated a brick wall nearby. Written on the wall was **'DEATH TO ALL DEMON SUPPORTERS!'**. His tear soaked cerulean eyes faded and shifted into slitted red eyes. The boy's body shook fervently as he began to hyperventilate, his sadness slowly combining with rage. A thin wispy layer of red chakra crept out from his navel and slowly encompassed the blonde in a fox-like cloak. Before the boy fully lost control of himself however, the pained cough of the man in his hands caught his attention. Naruto looked down and the intense rage on his face contorted into a look of fear as Teuchi's hand were sizzling from the intensity of the red chakra. No sooner did the chakra retract from his hand, giving the old man some room to breathe.

"N- _cough-_ Naruto, my boy... please don't do anything stupid. Even th-though those stupid idiots d-deserve a penalty worse than death, y-you can't kill them... you'd be no better than them. Besides, a Hokage can't go killing his people, now can he?" Teuchi tried to joke but began to cough out blood.

" I-I don't think I have much time left so let me tell you s-some things that need to be said. We don't blame you for what happened here. You're just a misunderstood child who just needed a little affection. You have been nothing but a joy to have around. You are our number one customer... and also like the grandson I never had. So please Naruto... please don't walk the path of hatred. Find those you can call nakama and protect them. Help those in need and show the world the wonderful boy we know you to be. Make... us... proud... mago (grandson)..."

By the time Teuchi spoke his last words, the red chakra retracted back where it came from, leaving a vulnerable and fragile boy in tears. Beside the Third, the Ichirakus were the only people who treated him like he was _worth_ something. Like an actual person. Loved. But now they were gone. He clutched at his chest, his heart felt like it was in the clutches of the Shinigami himself, crushing it to nothing, but he wasn't so lucky. At least he would have died and be reunited with his pseudo family; but no. They were gone, forever, while he was still alive. Naruto could only let out a pain scream into the sky. The sky began to pour down in response as if the heavens them self were crying. The hand at his chest clutched tighter; his knuckles becoming white.

'Maybe if I died, all this pain would disappear, and I could finally be happy. Free… No. What am I thinking. I can't meet Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-nee chan now. I'll be spitting on the promise I made to them.'

The boy shakily stood up, and stared sullenly at the stand before glancing down through teary eyes at Teuchi, who held a small smile on his face. Naruto took this in, saying one final goodbye before running in the direction of the gates. He needed to get away from this place, if only for now, in order to grow stronger and protect others from ever getting hurt because of him, maybe take up medic-ninjutsu as well, it was the least he could do for Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-nee chan.

"Damn it, I was too late." Looking up, Naruto spotted a tall man wearing a white spotted thick billed hat that over shadowed his eyes. He wore a long black coat with yellow insignias strewn about near the hem of the coat, which reached past his blue jeans. His tattooed hands were clenched into a fist in anger. He looked up and stared right into Naruto's eyes. "Those eyes... you lost someone pretty close to you, didn't you?" Naruto could only nod, trying to hold back the flood of tears that were pooling in his eyes at the mention of his family. "Damn it, I'm sorry kid, I tried to prevent something like this from happening, like what happened to me, but I was too late."

"-hy" Naruto mumbled.

"What was that kid?"

"Why are people so stupid. Why do we have to suffer because of how damn stupid they are! People think I'm a demon, so they burn down the only place I feel at home. Including some of the only people to have loved me."

The man stayed silent, not knowing how to respond. He himself asked these questions when he was younger; when his hometown was burnt along with everyone he knew. Before he could muster any sort of comfort, the boy interrupted him.

"I promise. I'm going to get strong enough that my name reaches the heavens. I'm going to be the world's greatest medic and protect all my nakama! I won't let anyone die because of me ever again. I promised them... I..." Naruto couldn't continue as he broke down into a sobbing mess, the tears he tried to hold back flooded and cascaded down his cheek. The man was shocked at the child's conviction.

"Heh, you're strong kid." The man murmured.

"W-wha?" Naruto choked out confusedly.

"I believe introductions are in order. My name is Trafalgar D. Water Law, also known as the Surgeon of Death and the greatest doctor alive. Despite the cards life has dealt you, you continue to push forward for the sake of others, it's admirable. Come with me and I'll teach you everything I know, you'll become the successor of my legacy. So, what do you say?" The newly named Law exclaimed, holding his nodachi up in front of him.  
He didn't know why he said that, or why he went out of his way to try to save those people. He was the heartless Surgeon of Death. A pirate feared by many. Yet those flames and the pained scream of a child reminded him too much of himself. Reminded him of the family he lost to the stupidity of others. He was traumatised by those events. He didn't even care whether he died. The lead poisoning made him a lost cause anyway. Yet it was Cora-san, a man who charged head first into any hardship thrown at him with a smile on his face, that brought him out of his darkness. And like how Cora-san helped him, it was his turn to help this boy in front of him. A boy who reminded him of both himself and of Cora-san. Naruto's face took on a look of shock as the tears began to lessen. He wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and look at Law with new resolve.

"Thank you, Law-sensei, I'll be the greatest and strongest medic alive, that's a promise of a lifetime!"

* * *

 _(Time skip)_

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk looking sombre. Not even the hidden Icha Icha book he kept stored in his drawer could lift his spirits as today was a painful reminder of what he lost. Today was the 7th anniversary of the loss of the Ichirakus and his pseudo grandson. He was so exhausted that day from dealing with the civilian council that he collapsed in his bed and demanded not to be disturbed until the next day. He left the protection of the people in the hands of the remaining ninja, who unbeknownst to him at the time, were avid Kyuubi haters. Because of his callousness, not only did the Ichiraku family die, but Naruto had all but vanished. The old man took it hard and only blamed himself for not looking after Naruto better. The soft Hokage that he slowly became over the years, toughened up as if he was in his prime again. The feared ninja known as 'The Professor' was back. The ignorant ninjas and villagers were dealt with severely to say the least. He popped open the cap of a bottle of sake he kept for this day.

The room was engulfed in a blue light and no sooner did a man appear out of thin air where the chair in front of his desk once sat. The sudden appearance of the man made Hiruzen spit his drink out and go on alert. He stood up with a fierce glare on his face as the Anbu, who were hidden around the room, sprang to the Hokage's defence and surrounded the mystery man. The man wore a black-sleeved, yellow hoodie with a smiling insignia on the front of his chest. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing tribal-style tattoos on his arms; tattooed on the back of each of his fingers are letters that spell **D E A T** **H** with a black cross on the back of his hands. The man was also sporting a pair of jeans with odd markings on both the knee and ankle area, similar to the white fur hat that sat on top of his blonde hair. Pierced in each ear were a pair of small golden earrings. Lastly, the most striking feature of the young man before him was the nodachi he carried over his shoulder. It had an oblong-shaped hilt trimmed with short white fur, a purple grip with two white rings around it and a yellow pommel. It was sheathed in a black scabbard decorated by white crosses from the opening to the bottom, and with a small piece of red rope tied near its opening. "Who are you and what are you doing here." Hiruzen asked calmly as he directed his killer intent at the man.

"Heh, it's been 7 years and you forgot who I am? You must be getting forgetful in your old age Jiji." The young man looked up with a smirk. The Hokage looked on shocked at who it was. Only two people were brave enough or were allowed to call him Jiji: Konohamaru and-

"Naruto? Is that really you?" Sarutobi asked, his voice held a hint of desperation.

"The one and only. Glad you still remember. You still have a seat to hand over to me after al-" Naruto began before being tackled to the floor in a mess by the old man. The elderly man had tears in his eyes as he hugged the blonde in front of him.

"By Kami Naruto how I'm glad you're all safe. I'm sorry for not being there 7 years ago, I failed you and the Ichirakus." Naruto could only return the hug as he gave a sombre smile.

"It's okay Jiji, it wasn't your fault. It should be me apologising for disappearing all those years ago. I made a promise to Teuchi-jiji that I would grow stronger in order to protect those precious to me. I trained like there was no tomorrow so that no one would experience what I did." Sarutobi was amazed at the boy's conviction and gave a warm smile to him.

"I guess all I can say is welcome home Naruto." He said getting up. Naruto smiled and got up as well.

"It's good to be back."

* * *

 **Author's Notes Again (Heh sorry)**

And there we go, a story about Naruto carrying on the legacy of one of, if not my most, favourite One Piece character, Trafalgar Law. The characters are a bit OOC and reactions may be a bit rushed if you know what I mean but hopefully they'll be a bit more accurate in the chapters to come when I have more experience writing. Leave a review and tell me what you guys think of the story so far. Adios!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:**

Hey guys! Hope you guys have been doing well. Just wanted to say thank you to all your support. This story is already more popular than my other story and that was just within the first month XD. If you also read that work than sorry for the wait, school is honestly a pain in the grass but hey, what can you do except slowly suffer¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ . Anyways, hope you guys like this chapter so without further adieu, let's get right into it!

 **Disclaimer: Naruto and One Piece are owned by Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Flowers**

Ino Yamanaka, a platinum blonde aspiring to become a kunoichi, sat behind the counter of her family's flower shop, her head face down on the wood as she grumbled to herself about the events earlier that day in class.

"Cheh, damn Forehead beat me to the punch. She got to sit with Sasuke-kun all day! How unfair. Iruka-sensei will be announcing the team placements tomorrow, so it'll be my last chance to sit with Sasuke-kun. Knowing tousan's team, I'll be stuck with lazy bones and food boy. Urghh, damn it Kami, throw me a bone or something." She was interrupted from her thoughts by the ringing of the doorbell. "Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers. How can I help you?" She murmured unenthused, her head still on the counter top.

"Hi, I'm looking to buy some flowers as well as some herbs if you sell any. Oh yeah, I'm going to need some tools. Could you throw in a gardening set as well?" Ino was brought out of her stupor by the sound of the voice. It sounded like a boy around her age. She was correct to assume because as she looked up, she spotted a boy looking through the store, a few pots of lavender and calendulas already in his arms.

"Uh, yeah we have some herbs but not much. We sell more of flowers than anything." She replied grabbing his attention, his appearance confusing her.

'Who is this guy? I've never seen him before. Surely, I would've seen him at the academy or something.'

"Hm, well I should be able to buy the general stuff from the market area." He paused before dropping the pots on the counter and put on a thinking posture.

"You must be new right?"

"Sort of, I was born here but moved away a little later. Just came back today actually. The name's Naruto, Ichiraku D. Naruto. Nice to meet you." Naruto said with a grin. Ino couldn't help but smile back. She didn't know why but that smile of his was contagious. "Hey, do you have any other flowers somewhere?"

"Yeah we usually only put out the popular ones. We have more out in the back. Why, looking for anything in particular?"

"I'm looking for some echinacea, elecampane, valerian and some yarrow." Ino was shocked at the boy's knowledge of some of the uncommon flowers.

"Wow wasn't expecting those. You're planting one weird garden. They're all so diverse and different." She responded whilst helping him grab the requested flowers from out back. She was intrigued though as to why he wanted those flowers in particular. Usually customers would buy roses, lilies or other nice smelling and good-looking flowers, yet here was a boy who opted to go for uncommon flowers which didn't look as appealing in her opinion.

"I'm not really buying them for their looks or their smell, well maybe a little, but I want those particular flowers because they each have medicinal properties that, when processed properly, can be turned into salves or other medical supplies. I may not look like it but I'm an aspiring medic. Let me tell you now, I'm going to be the greatest medic, believe it dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed with a smile, his eyes looked on with determination. Ino looked at him amazed at his conviction before cracking a smile then laughing at his verbal tic.

"A medic huh, that's pretty cool." She said turning to the flowers that Naruto picked out. "So what sort of properties do these flowers have? I never really payed any real attention to what they can be used for whenever my parents taught me." She continued sheepishly.

"The calendulas I grabbed can be turned into an ointment for healing burns, cuts and other small wounds. The echinacea is known for its use as an antibiotic. The elecampane can be turned into a medicine that affects humans more internally as it helps with lung problems, congestions, colds and stuff like that. Although the flower of the valerian smells good, the root smells bad right? Well you can use it as a muscle relaxant and as a calming herb, similar to the lavender. Finally, the yarrow can be used to help treat fevers, colds, hay fever, diarrhea and other similar symptoms. It can also help stop blood flow, although to a small extent."

Ino listened on with interest, wishing she could've written this down on a note pad or something. It sounded really helpful. She helped put all the flowers in bags rehearsing the medicinal properties and uses of each plant as she bagged them until she reached the last flower.

"What about this one? The hydrangeas?" She asked looking at the bouquet of pink and blue flowers. Naruto's smile faltered a little before shifting into a sombre smile.

"Those aren't for medicine. They're… for my family." The change in tone as well as the pained expression was all Ino needed to know especially as flower symbolism was something she specialised in. The pink colours represent love, sincere emotions whilst the blue symbolised forgiveness, regret and rejection. Flowers commonly used for graves.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." She muttered regretfully, her head hanging low. Naruto only gave a warm smile before poking Ino's forehead, eliciting an "ow" from her.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You didn't know; besides, they wouldn't want me to mourn for them. They would want me to continue living my life to the fullest, with a smile on my face. In fact, they're the reason why I'm on the path to becoming a medic, so that I'll have the ability to help anyone in need, so that no one else will have to lose their loved ones." He stepped away from her, looking directly at her eyes that were now looking straight back at him and no longer at the floor. He held that gaze for a moment longer, making sure she was feeling better before giving one final smile and turning around with his bags of flowers in hand.

"I got to go now but it was nice meeting you Ino, see you around." With that, Naruto left the store, leaving the platinum blonde to her own thoughts.

* * *

Naruto walked down the streets, the sky beginning to shift from the orange of the afternoon to the dark blue of the night, settling Konoha in a peaceful twilight. Looking around, Naruto could tell that the village hasn't changed much in the last 6 years. The buildings were the same. The hustle and bustle of the village quieting down as they separate to go either to their homes or to the bars for a late-night drink was the same. Everything was pretty much the same… except for what lay ahead of him, his destination. In front of him was an empty space, the nearby walls still had remnants of scorch marks. Nearing the empty space, Naruto pulled out the hydrangeas and laid them on the floor. The blonde sat down in front of the flowers and pulled out some supplies like a thermostat and an instant ramen cup.

"Hey Jiji… Nee-chan. It's been awhile." Naruto said as he poured the hot water from the thermostat into the cup. He paused for a little longer as he emptied the contents of the sachet into the cup and watched as it dissolved into the hot water. "Heh, it ain't no Ichiraku ramen but it'll do… Man, I'm going to really miss your cooking…" Naruto shook his head in an attempt to stop his thoughts from spiralling down that direction. He looked back up at the flowers, tears clinging to his eyes, making his vision a blurry mess. The blonde wiped at his eyes before continuing.

"No, I didn't come here to cry and feel sad. Anyways, sorry for not visiting sooner, but I've done a lot these past 6 years." Naruto's tone slightly changed from sombre to a more upbeat tone at the mention of his journey so far. "I met a man who took me under his wing and taught so much about medicine. He's like a sensei to me, but more than that, he's like the big brother I never had. He would teach me everything he knew about the healing arts while taking care of me like I was his own blood. I've spent every waking hour working towards fulfilling my promise. I've learnt so much under him. I feel like I can finally repay your kindness now. I may have a lot to learn still but I feel like I can actually _help_ people, to _save_ people… like how you saved me from myself that night; both you guys and Nii-san."

Naruto quietened down as he begun to enjoy the now silent streets, the slight wind tussling his hair only served to add to the serene atmosphere. The blonde boy looked up towards the stars as he savoured the taste of the ramen in his hands. Two particular stars twinkled above brighter than the rest of the scattered lights. Naruto didn't know why, but he could only assume that it was Teuchi and Ayame up there smiling down at him as if they were proud of the boy he has grew up to be. The notion made the blonde to smile, any remnants of sadness left was gone.

"I see, this is where you were." Turning around, Naruto spotted the robed figure of Konoha's Hokage walking towards him.

"Hey Jiji, yeah I was just here to pay my respects to the Ichirakus." Naruto replied as Hiruzen sat down next to him. It didn't bother the aging man that he wasn't acting very Hokage like at the moment with the way he was sitting on the floor in the street, but no one was around anyway so he didn't really care. The two sat there in comfortable silence, letting the night do the talking for the moment. The assemble of crickets and night birds singing their nightly songs, the rhythmic tune doing nothing but adding to the ambiance. As if in response, the shadows cast by the lanterns nearby seemed to dance to the tune in slow fluid motions.

"With all the excitement earlier, I forgot to ask you what your plans were now that you're back." Hiruzen asked through puffs of smoke. Silence resumed as Naruto thought this over.

"Well you are still warming that seat for me, so I better become a kick ass medic nin quick." Naruto quipped back with a cheeky grin before getting a slightly worried face, signs of amusement evident in his eyes. "I _can_ still become a ninja, right? I'm not too late, am I? Oh no… Don't tell me I have to take a stupid written test do I Jiji? Please Kami say I don't."

Hiruzen just laughed at the boy before ruffling his hair with his free hand. "Don't worry Naruto, you won't have to do any written test. You did manage to get the jump on the Hokage and his attending Anbu without getting noticed before you were right in front of me. Although that does pose a question though. Team placements are ready to go tomorrow, and I need to find you a cell to join. Hmm…" The aging Hokage wondered, his hand on his chin in a pondering gesture. His train of thought was interrupted by a yawn next to him.

"Well I'll think of something, you must be tired. As you probably would have guessed, your old apartment is no longer viable, so you can live with me and my grandson in the Sarutobi compound. We have rooms to spare."

With a nod, Naruto quickly finished the rest of his meal before standing up and dusted his pants. After disposing of his rubbish in a nearby trash can, he turned to leave towards the Sarutobi residence with the Hokage in tow before stopping and casting a last glance upwards. The blonde boy pointed to wards the stars with a grin on his face.

"Just you wait; I _will_ be the best Medic Nin the world has ever saw. I _will_ be a legend that you guys can be proud of, so you better keep on cheering me on up there Teuchi-jiji, Ayame-nee chan." With that proclamation said and done, Naruto continued his walk back to his new home, a proud and smiling Hiruzen trailing shortly behind.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

So what did you think? I added some medical and floral knowledge to showcase Naruto's knowledge on medicine as well as to get him and Ino to meet. I figured getting their first meeting to be about both their professions would be a good starting point so I did some research on medicinal properties on flowers. What are your thoughts on it? Should I keep doing similar stuff and add medical knowledge into the mix in the future chapters or mainly keep his practice to healing people? Let me know.

Also, Ichiraku D. Naruto. I thought Naruto bearing the name of Ichiraku as a memento to his pseudo family would be a cool idea. As for the "D.", well, you're just going to have to wait and see how he came to bear the initial "D."

Finally before I go, I wanted to get your opinions on Naruto's team. I kind of have the idea of him being on a 2 man cell with Naruto being a tokubetsu genin, since there wouldn't be an available spot for Naruto on Team 7 after not being in Konoha for 6 years. However that's just my thoughts and I'm not really sure on how to progress so I'll let the decision be up to you.

He can be on either:

Team 7

Team 8 (Replace a character)

Team 10 (Replace a character)

Two man cell (Naruto, Tokubetsu Genin and a Jounin Teacher)

 **Edit:** I made a poll although I have no idea if I did it right ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

And that's all I have to say, thanks for getting this far and I hope you enjoy what this story has to offer. Ciao


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:**

Hey guys! Hope you are all doing well. Sorry about the wait, last year was insane. All those... exams, urghhh. Just wanted to give a quick shout out/thank you to **Caliban Super Saiyan 0** for telling me how to make the poll works. I'm a total noob when it involves making fanfictions. So thanks buddy :D. Also, **icedshadows** , if you're reading this, just wanted to say your review made me smile and that I made this chapter with a cold drink by my side 👌. But without further adieu, let's get into this!

 **Disclaimer: Naruto and One Piece are owned by Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Introductions**

The morning sun began its ascent over the Hokage Rock, illuminating the sleepy village of Konohagakure, stray rays peaking through curtains and waking a particular blonde Jinchuuriki. With a stretch, Naruto woke up and found himself in an unfamiliar room. Sitting up, Naruto began looking around and noticed that the room was simple and contained the bare necessities.

The single bed he was sitting on was propped in the corner of the room with the window positioned near the head of the bed. On the other side of the room sat a plain brown desk with the flowers he bought propped against it. Before long, Naruto's brain jogged up to speed and processed the previous day's events and how he was given shelter in the Sarutobi compound. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a loud grumble. The blonde rubbed at his stomach sheepishly before deciding to get ready for the day.

After quickly getting ready, Naruto headed out of his room only to stop as a smell wafted towards his nose. Giving a few more sniffs led drool to trickle down the corners of his mouth as he smelt what appeared to be bacon. Getting closer, his nose appeared to be proven right as his ears picked up on the sizzling of bacon the closer he got to the kitchen. Upon entering the dining area, Naruto was slightly surprised to see the Hokage himself in the kitchen cooking.

"Jiji? You're the one cooking? Don't you have clansmen to do that for you?" Naruto asked bewildered at why the old man would cook.

Chuckling, Sarutobi finished up preparing the final bits of bacon before heading towards the dining table. "As a Hokage, you tend to have little time for yourself. Especially with all that… paper work." The old man ended with a little shiver running through his body. Naruto chuckled at the notion as he began piling food on his plate to eat. "Anyways, Konoha and her people always come first so I spend a lot of time looking after them. When you get to my age, the responsibility can become stressful so doing the simplest of things like cooking can really soothe one's mind, almost therapeutic in a sense."

The serene look on the old man's face become sombre as he looked toward a hanging photo of himself and his family. "Cooking was always Biwako's favourite thing to do. She would always cook our meals with a smile on her face. I don't think I can allow anyone else to cook in that kitchen… it wouldn't seem right."

Naruto paused mid bite before gaining a sympathetic look. He remembered hearing how the old man's wife died during the Kyuubi's attack.

"Jiji, I-"  
"Old man! Get ready to fight!" Whatever Naruto was going to say was interrupted by a small boy charging in with what looked like a wooden shuriken in his hand, inadvertently dispersing the sombre mood. He had what looked like brown spiky hair poking out of a grey helmet with a blue scarf draped around his neck. "I'm going to be the fifth Hokage!"

No sooner had those words left his mouth, the boy tripped on his scarf and face planted into the floor. Neither of the occupants at the table said a word before returning to their meals, Hiruzen sighing while Naruto chuckling under his breath. The boy shakily stood and looked around the room for any more 'traps'. His gaze landed on the blonde sitting at the table. "It was you wasn't it? You're the one who tripped me!" The boy demanded, not believing for a second the cause for his fall being his clumsiness.

"Eh? How the hell do you think I managed to trip you when I'm sitting down and eating at a table?" Naruto asked, his eye twitching from the accusation. Hiruzen sighed again.

"Naruto, meet my grandson, Konohamaru."

'Hn, that's right. I'm the honourable grandson of the Third Hokage.' Konohamaru thought smugly.

"Well nice to meet you Konohamaru. The name's Naruto. I'll be living with you and Jiji from now on. Hope we get along!" Naruto greeted with a toothy grin. Konohamaru just stood there for a minute.

'Did he just call me by my name?' The boy's train of thought was broken as the blonde spoke up again.

"Oh, by the way, I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"I'm afraid the best you can do is become sixth Hokage. I'm going to become the next Hokage, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed whilst thumping his chest. The old man gave a chuckle under his breath at the interaction between the two boys.

"Oh yeah? What makes you think you can become Hokage before me huh? I'm the grandson of the 3rd Hokage, I'll find a shortcut to becoming Hokage!" Hiruzen and Naruto shared a look before the blonde sighed. He turned his attention back onto the brunette in front of him.

"What exactly do you think being Hokage means?" Naruto questioned.

"Being Hokage means you're the strongest ninja in the village, the most respected ninja. People will see me for me. I'll be able to walk out of the old man's shadow and stand next to him as an equal." Silence permeated the room as Konohamaru awaited the blonde's response. Despite feeling disappointed in the answer his grandson gave, he made no motion to correct him, instead interested in how Naruto would respond.

"Being Hokage is more than being the strongest and most respected. Don't get me wrong, the past Hokages have been Konoha's strongest ninja no doubt, but it wasn't their strength that was the main reason for them becoming Hokage. They became our village leaders because they love Konoha and its people more than anyone else, enough that they would put their lives on the line to protect the people. Without the people, a Hokage is just a strong individual. Without a Hokage, although we may suffer and struggle at first, we can still live on because Konoha still stands. Her people still stand. That is what it means to be Hokage. I may not have the ability or popularity that being Hokage demands but I won't give up. Even if it means working for years or even decades, I won't give up." The Sarutobis couldn't help but just look at the self-proclaimed fifth Hokage, one with pride and the other with awe.

Konohamaru never thought of it like that. He never realised the burden that came with becoming Hokage, how many lives were on your shoulders. The old man made it look easy, yet now it seemed anything but. All this responsibility appeared daunting, yet the blonde in front of him looked unfazed at the prospect. The young Sarutobi couldn't help but admire that, his opinion of the other boy changing.

Hiruzen couldn't help but smile, his pride showing exuberantly. The boy definitely held the will of fire within him. Suddenly, the boy was no standing there, an ethereal form of another familiar blonde now stood in his place.

'He's like you in more ways than one. You would be so proud of your boy Minato. If only you and Kushina could see him now.' Sarutobi thought sombrely.

"Although, it's got to be said, the sooner the better. Jiji could use the rest and relaxation to catch up on his perverted readings." And in a blink of an eye, the form of the yellow flash faded, revealing Naruto sporting a cheeky grin. His eye twitched as he saw that even his grandson was giving him the same look.

* * *

Ino sat towards the back of the class with a thoughtful expression on her face, the rowdiness of the classroom excited to meet their new teams and start their life as shinobi not disturbing her in the slightest. Despite the fact that she lost to Sakura, who managed to beat her into the class and score a seat next to Sasuke again, Ino didn't feel too upset.

Yes, being beaten by Sakura and having her gloat about it was enough for Ino's eyebrows to twitch up a storm, but she didn't feel as bothered by losing then she would have any other day. After the interesting exchange yesterday with Naruto, Ino has been a bit more focused on her job as a florist.

She never knew those flowers he picked out yesterday could do something else other than smelling nice and looking pretty. It honestly got her intrigued what else the other flowers could. As soon as her parents got home, she bombarded them with questions about flowers and if they could be used for anything. To say that her parents were surprised at her eagerness to learn of her own free will would be an understatement, but they readily taught her a few things they knew.

Thinking back, the way she asked only made her flush with embarrassment, but it was well worth it since she learnt so much. Hopefully her new sensei knew a thing or two about apothecary and would be willing to teach her so that she'll be able to provide something more than her clans talents of mind transferring to her team. If not, then she could always ask Naruto for help when she sees him again. The thought of the boy made Ino smile. If he never came into her shop yesterday, then she would probably be grumbling about the fact that her rival was less than half a metre away from their crush.

'I wonder when I'll see him next. There's so much I don't know about flowers and herbs. He might even know some things that even Tousan and Okaasan might not know.' Ino wondered a little eagerly.

"ALRIGHT QUIET ALL OF YOU! I know today is exciting but settle down for the next 10 minutes. Alright, first things first, I want to introduce a new graduate. Naruto, you may come in." Iruka introduced as he looked at the door.

'Naruto? What's he doing here? Wasn't he going to be a med- wait, don't tell me… He's going to become a medic _and_ a ninja. A medic-nin. Hah, I guess I'll be seeing him sooner than I thought.' Ino thought with a smile. The sliding door opened to reveal Naruto wearing the same clothes he usually wore. He walked up to the front of the class and gave a small wave to the rest of the students.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to the class." Iruka suggested to the blonde.

"Hey, my name is Ichiraku D. Naruto, nice to meet you all. I like ramen, helping people, my family and sword fighting. I dislike the 3 minutes you have to wait after pouring water into a ramen cup, ignorant people who can't tell the difference between a kunai and a scroll, bread, and losing those close to me. My hobbies are sword fighting, eating ramen and helping people. My dreams? To become the best medic in the world and become the Hokage so that I can protect everyone. I look forward to possibly working with you all in the future." Naruto introduced with his famous foxy grin.

'A medic-nin? What a waste.' Thought an arrogant Uchiha.

"That was wonderful Naruto, take a seat anywhere free." Naruto looked around and spotted a familiar crop of platinum blonde hair at the back of the class before heading up the stairs towards her row. Naruto set his sword next to him and sat down next to the girl.

"So… bread huh? What's the story there?" Ino asked, amusement clearly written all over her face.

Naruto's cheeks reddened before laying his face on the desk.

"Hey don't blame me! My Nii-san was the weird one that hated it. I just sort of got influenced by him, heh." The blonde boy replied sheepishly.

"Haha sure thing weirdo." Ino laughed back before being shushed by Iruka.

"Okay, back to the matter at hand. I will now announce the team placements. Team 1 is… And finally, Ichiraku Naruto. Due to your unexpected arrival into the shinobi system as well as there being an odd number of students, you will be a Tokubetsu Genin, and will be in a 2-man cell with Anko Mitarashi." After this, Iruka seemed to go on a tangent about how proud he was about his students but Naruto blanked at this and focused on the Genin around him.

This particular graduate class housed most if not all of the clan heirs and heiresses. This could potentially be the strongest wave of Genin Konoha has had in years. Naruto was brought out of his thoughts as the students started moving about with their lunches, some leaving the room whilst a few others decided to stay. The ones who decided to stay so happened to be the clan heirs.

"So, you're a swordsman? Can you even use this sword? It's massive." Asked Kiba as he walked up next to the sword in question.

"Yeah, I guess you can say I'm a swordsman, I've been training ever since I was 6. Not with this sword obviously, that would insane, swinging a sword this long as a short kid this high. I barely reached past the sheathe." Naruto laughed as he put his hand at a short distance from the ground to demonstrate his height. Kiba couldn't help but laugh as well at the obviously exaggerated answer. It had only been 15 minutes since he met this guy and he already liked him. He seemed pretty down to Earth.

"You said you like ramen? What flavour?" Asked Choji as he continued to munch on his chips. Shikamaru looked on as if he was bored but was curious about the blond enigma as well. He wondered how he would respond to the chubby boy who talked with his mouth full of chips.

"I love all types of ramen but if I had to name my absolute favourites, I would say pork and miso ramen. The broth, the texture, the noodles. Kami, it's the best!" Naruto responded with a dreamy look on his face and drool trickling down his mouth before he wiped it away.

Choji grinned at the response, glad to meet another hardcore food addict who wasn't an Akimichi. Shikamaru considered Naruto a good guy since he didn't have any negative opinions on Choji and his size, making him alright in his books. This Q & A session went on for a while, the group getting to know each other until the sound of crashing glass interrupted all conversation as they looked at the front of the class to see a broken window and banner. The banner read, 'Tokubetsu Jounin-Sensei Anko Mitarashi is here!' The group could only sweat drop at this.

"The name's Anko Mitarashi, now where's Ichiraku?" A purple haired woman said as she appeared from behind the banner. Standing, Naruto picked up his sword and walked towards his sensei after saying his goodbyes to his new friends.

"That'll be me sensei, so where to?"

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Andddddd that's the chapter. As you can see, the two man cell with Naruto and Anko won out. It was a close call with a single vote difference. I hope everyone who wanted Naruto to be on Team 10 or any other team will still like the story. Also, what were your thoughts on Ino? I feel like I may have rushed her feelings towards Naruto a bit too much. Like a hardcore fangirl of Sasuke to a bit nonchalant towards him and wanting to see Naruto again. I wanted Ino to see Naruto as a friendly and knowledgeable person who seems like a nice guy to be around. Although the over the night shift may be a bit too fast. I don't know, let me know in a review what's your thoughts on this.

That's all for now, hope you guys enjoy the story, au revoir! 🖐


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